Lunchtime is busy at Edgar’s Bakery in Tuscaloosa. Customers stream in as the order-up bell is dinging, employees freshen the coffee and friends chat amongst themselves in the cheery cafe chairs. Cupcakes, rolls, cookies, cakes and pastries of all kinds are displayed as diners choose the perfect sweet to accompany their lunch or midday espresso. Filled with loyal customers returning for their favorites, Edgar’s is the picture of a quaint community cafe.

Edgar’s Bakery was first established in Birmingham in 1998, and the Tuscaloosa location opened in April 2013. The bakery has since then served not only as the staple for birthday cakes and custom orders, but also a sweet spot for breakfast, lunch and coffee. Open from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Edgar’s is filled with a combination of diners and studiers as well as cake-orderers and coffee-drinkers each day.

“I like how homey it is,” said Jazmine Passley-Jones, a resident of Tuscaloosa and three-time Edgar’s visitor. “The food is really good. It’s a nice place to relax, kind of like Starbucks but with real food.”

Edgar’s breakfast menu includes omelettes, waffles, pancakes and French toast. An accompanying beverage menu includes a number of coffee drinks and smoothies including lattes, espresso, Chai tea and frappes. A size large flavor-of-the-day coffee is a simple yet delicious choice at only $2.29. Visit one day this fall and you just might be greeted with a cinnamon or pumpkin flavor.

While Edgar’s specializes in baked goods and breakfast favorites, their lunch menu in no way suffers. Lunchtime brings options of chicken salad, soups, wraps, sandwiches and a quiche of the day.

“I love Edgar’s,” said Lindy Koury, a sophomore majoring in accounting and finance. “It’s a very quaint bakery. It’s very personable and I thought it was really good in quality.”

From Hoover to Pelham to Tuscaloosa, customers know they can count on Edgar’s for a quality cake. Koury is one of many in Alabama to enjoy Edgar’s popular cakes. Koury first experienced Edgar’s when her mother surprised her for her birthday.

“My mom got me a cake from there for my birthday and surprised me with it,” Koury said. “It was like a triple decker chocolate cake with icing and it was really good.”

Leslie Andress, a junior majoring in marketing, is also a big fan of Edgar’s cakes, even though she usually reaches for a different dessert.

“I’m not even a fan of cake but I always make an exception for Edgar’s,” Andress said. “Also a fan of their chocolate cake. It has chocolate chips on the inside.”

Maggie Selesky, a junior majoring in biology and Italian, grew up in Birmingham and has had an affinity for Edgar’s since her childhood.

“They’ve made my birthday cake every year since I was five,” Selesky said. “Their cakes are really rich and moist. I’ve literally never tasted a strawberry cake as good as that one.”

Edgar’s doesn’t stop at the cakes. They also offer many other varieties of cookies, croissants, muffins and pastries.

“Their wedding cookies are the best!” said Jordan Tate, a junior majoring in nursing.